What Are Immunosuppressive Drugs And What Are They For?

Immunosuppressive drugs are those whose composition helps to inhibit the response of the immune system, the main defender of the body. Have you ever heard of them? Do you know what they can do for health? If you want to know more, keep reading everything that we are going to tell you below.

The use of these drugs is mandatory in patients who receive an organ transplant, since it prevents the body from rejecting the new tissues, therefore, they are an important part of the treatment. However, this is not the only use they have, in reality they are also used as part of the treatment of other ailments, especially the so-called “autoimmune diseases”.

In addition, in some cases they are used together with steroidal drugs, since they help reduce the doses and side effects of steroid therapy.

What is the mechanism of action of immunosuppressive drugs like?

When the immune system identifies a foreign substance or agent to the normal ones present in the body, it activates the antibodies to attack and destroy them. The latter, not being differentiated from a bacterium or virus, receives an attack that causes its rejection from the body.

Then the use of immunosuppressive drugs is necessary both for the prevention and for the treatment of organ transplants. Now, how do these drugs work?

These drugs work by interfering with the synthesis of cellular DNA, which contains genetic information. In this way, they help to intentionally suppress the production and activity of immune cells, preventing their multiplication.

As you might expect, this comes at a cost. Because the body’s normal immune response is suddenly altered, it is more difficult for it to detect and destroy cancer cells and other infectious agents that affect health.

In what cases are they prescribed?

In the beginning, immunosuppressive drugs were used to prevent the body from rejecting the transplant of an organ or tissue such as: kidney, heart or bone marrow. However, although they still have this purpose, they are also used for other diseases such as:

• Ulcerative colitis
• Myasthenia gravis.
• Multiple sclerosis.
• Crohn’s disease.
• Systemic lupus erythematosus.
• Some inflammatory diseases that are not autoimmune in origin.

Additionally, it should be noted that patients who receive these interventions must ingest them for life.

What are the secondary effects?

As we have mentioned, their main disadvantage is that they affect the functioning of the immune system. Therefore, those who consume them are more exposed to contracting infections and diseases such as cancer.

Long-term use of these drugs can cause an increased risk of skin cancer in the long term. This is due to the combination of the effects of medications and exposure to the sun without proper protection. Other minor side effects include:

• Diarrhea.
• Shaking hands
• Loss of appetite
• Vomiting and nausea
• Increased hair growth.

When to go to the doctor?

Most of the minor effects go away when the body gets used to the medicine or the dose is adjusted. However, in some cases they are prolonged or complicated, requiring medical attention. It is important to see a doctor if:

• There is a high fever and chills.
• There are difficulties in breathing.
• Increases the feeling of tiredness.
• A cold or cough that won’t go away.
• Pain is felt when urinating and there are changes in urination.
• Recurrent and prolonged abdominal pain occurs.

Classification of immunosuppressive drugs

There are several types of immunosuppressive drugs and their administration varies depending on the problem to be treated or its mechanism of action. According to this, they are classified as follows:

• Corticosteroids
• Monoclonal antibodies.
• Calcineurin inhibitors.
• Azatriopin (inhibits RNA and DNA synthesis).

• Cyclosporins (inhibit the activation of T cells).

Most common immunosuppressive drugs

• Mycophenolate mofetil (Cellcept).
• Methotrexate (Rheumatrex).
• Azathioprine (Imuran).
• Cyclosporine (Neoral, Sandimmune, Gengraf).
• Leflunomide (Arava).
• Cyclophosphamide (Cytoxan).
• Chlorambucil (Leukeran).
• Mustard nitrogen (Mustargen).

What medications can they interact with?

Before starting treatment with immunosuppressive drugs, it is essential to inform the doctor if other drugs are being taken. The professional will have to evaluate if there is the possibility of consuming them simultaneously. Interactions sometimes occur that affect the effectiveness of both drugs or increase their side effects.

• Taking sirolimus with cyclosporine can increase sirolimus levels, causing serious side effects. In case they are prescribed together, sirolimus should be taken about 4 hours before the dose of

• The risk of cancer is increased when immunosuppressants are combined with other drugs that also affect the immune system such as corticosteroids and anticancer drugs.

• The effects of cyclosporine are increased when it is taken simultaneously with male hormones, female hormones, and erythromycins.

• Azatripine may have a negative interaction with allopurinol, a drug used to treat gout.

Patients who receive these types of treatments should see their doctor regularly for check-ups. This measure is very important since it helps determine how it has been impacted on the body and if there are unwanted reactions that must be treated.